There’s a Vincent Trocheck predicament at center of Rangers’ retool that they must solve

SAN JOSE, Calif. — New York had the potential to be the pinnacle of Vincent Trocheck’s career.

After having a front-row seat to the pesky center’s impact on the Hurricanes in the 2022 playoffs, the Rangers signed Trocheck to a seven-year, $39.75 million deal to replace outgoing second-line center Ryan Strome. It was essentially an exchange of skill sets, but the hope was that Trocheck could give the top six a more blue-collar style.

Turns out, Trocheck has been an undisputed upgrade.

President and general manager Chris Drury is now in a position where he has to listen on just about every player on the Rangers roster, and the 32-year-old Trocheck is a high-value trade chip.